


It's Easier to Run

by Proxima_Centauri



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-11-13
Updated: 2012-11-15
Packaged: 2017-11-18 14:23:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/562014
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Proxima_Centauri/pseuds/Proxima_Centauri
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Roxas likes running, but someone's gotta teach him how to best appreciate life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Easier to Run

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The pounding beat in his ears, the steady rhythm with which his sneakers slapped the ground, and the singing of a man he knew was among the few who understood his emotions perfectly urged Roxas to continue running. The blonde often took to exercising when he was frustrated with life, and this was a perfect outlet for his emotions.

So, continuing to run moderately fast along the bike path, he began to scream the obscenities the song was currently playing, loudly. It wasn't so much the running as the fact that the freeway along which the path traveled drowned out the noise caused by his outbursts.

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A few months later winter decided to strike the city with a thick white blanket, as if taking vengeance for time lost by restricting movement as much as possible. Sure, the snowflakes were beautiful, but Roxas missed his bike path. Unfortunately, the city deemed it pointless to plow the fenced off area because nobody (besides him, of course) used it.

Sighing, Roxas laced up his shoes and put his ear buds in, determined to run up and down the building's steps until the shattering of glass had stopped in his apartment. He heard a cry of "worthless _bitch_!" during a quiet intro before the guitar riffs occupied his hearing entirely and he swiftly slipped out the door.

His feet began pounding rhythmically as he ascended, running along each hallway before advancing to the next level. He touched the door of the roof before returning downward, never pausing as he made the circuit once, twice, thrice. Upon heading down for the fourth time he realized another red haired teenager was blocking his path on the third floor, leaning against a wall casually.

Roxas slowed down before taking out a headphone and pressing pause on his music. " 'Scuse me, you're blocking the way." He stated semi-politely, not wanting to start yet another fight with his neighbors.

The teenager shook his head. "Nah, I think you're running up and down the halls too much." Roxas frowned at that. "You wouldn't happen to live in 2F, would you?"

Roxas nodded, curious as to how he'd known. "Your dad left about five minutes ago." The stranger jerked a thumb toward the stairwell. "I'm guessing you have cleanup to do."

The blonde frowned again; was this guy keeping tabs on him or something? "Uh, thanks." He stated aloud, waiting for the redhead to move. The other teenager only stretched his extraordinary limbs out further, barring Roxas's path completely.

"Name's Axel. A-X-E-L. I suggest next time you're running away from your parents fighting, you come talk to me instead of keeping the whole building awake with your racket. I live in 3F, got it memorized?"

Roxas blushed, embarrassed that he'd seen through the façade so easily. Then again, if he lived directly above Roxas, that wasn't too hard an assumption to make; his father screamed louder than Roxas himself did. "Right."

Axel clapped a hand on Roxas's shoulder before moving out of the way and back into his apartment. "Go take care of your mom." He commanded quietly before shutting the door. "I don't need to tell you that she needs it."

Roxas stared at the door for a few minutes; the rusting metal that identified the apartment drew his attention more than anything, before a soft clicking in his ears reminded him that the iPod had just shut itself off. He reached to it for a moment and began playing softer music before walking down the hallway. Axel was right; that was his place at that point in time. He sighed as he shoved the device back into his pocket and jogged downstairs.

He stretched upwards when he reached 2F, fingers just barely managing to break a spare key free from the scotch tape on the top of the door frame. He quickly unlocked the door and replaced the key before slipping inside, flipping the deadbolt and dropping his iPod onto a table before hugging his mother. She only cried quietly as her son lead her to the bathroom, picked the shattered glass from her wounds, and bandaged them silently.

He was leading her to the spare bedroom when she finally spoke. "I'm sorry it's always like this, Roxas." She murmured as she snuggled between the sheets. He nodded in acceptance of her apology before hugging her once more and shutting the door quietly.

Still quiet, Roxas swept the remnants of the glass coffee table into a black garbage bag. He tied it shut quickly before leaning out the window into the freezing air and dropping it skillfully into the open dumpster beneath their apartment. He then shoved the coffee table against a wall so his sure-to-be-drunk father wouldn't trip on it hurt them even more. He looked around for any more wreckage before cleaning a few drops of blood from the linoleum in the kitchen. Finally, he picked up his possessions and retreated to his bedroom.

Roxas immediately went to his stereo and put some music on softly. He stripped down to his black and white checkered boxers before turning out the lights and jumping between his own bed sheets, where he proceeded to sit and think.

"I wonder… just how transparent our lives really are." He muttered to the darkness.


	2. My Blue Heaven

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_New day, same routine._

_Crashing, screaming, lacing up running shoes, and wearing out the ancient carpeting in the hallways._

_Life on repeat._

_Until someone discovers a new interpretation of the lyrics._

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Roxas sighed and slipped out the door again, turning on Linkin Park before starting to run. Fate in the form of a redhead who lived above the battle zone, however, decided to intervene.

Seeing Axel, Roxas slowed and took a headphone from his ear, willing to hear the redhead out.

"Didn't I tell you to come and talk to me instead of wearing out the carpet?" He shook his head, frustrated that someone else in his age group could be so stubborn.

Roxas looked around guiltily, avoiding Axel's gaze. "I didn't want to bother you." He shuffled around awkwardly.

Axel looked at the blonde for a moment before sighing and opening his apartment door, motioning for him to go in. Roxas stayed still, making Axel raise a thin eyebrow. "I leave so I won't hear it, and the walls aren't very good at blocking out sound." He explained dully.

Understanding dawned on Axel's face. "Well, how about going to get something to eat? You look like you need food, and this way you're reassured that I won't rape you." He chuckled before disappearing inside, leaving Roxas in the hallway to frown and fully disengage himself from his music. Without much delay, Axel reappeared in a black pea coat and held a tan one for Roxas. "You're not going back to your apartment for awhile."

"I'm not complaining." Roxas took the jacket and pulled it on, noticing that it was much nicer than the hooded sweatshirts he usually used as coats. Axel locked his door and the two proceeded down the stairs and to a small corner café that Roxas knew only by sight and Axel visited occasionally when he was in a people mood.

"So, kid." The redhead started off as he handed Roxas a menu.

"Roxas." Said teenager corrected him. At Axel's raised eyebrow, he elaborated "It's a place in the Philippines. Don't ask me why they named me it, I have no idea."

Axel laughed. "Roxas." He tried out the name, finding it was easier to say than he would have thought. "I'm guessing you like running?"

The blonde shrugged. "I normally run on a bike path near the highway, but since its winter there's no way I can run through two foot tall snowdrifts." Axel nodded in agreement. "So, where do you go to school?"

"Idiots put me at Hollow Bastion High this year." Axel snorted. "I'm normally at Twilight."

The waitress came to take their orders, leaving Roxas to mull over the information. He went to Twilight, too. As he had never been there before, Axel ordered for Roxas and they both wound up having sandwiches.

After setting down their drinks, Axel thanked Yuna and she smiled at him, saying their order would be ready in a few minutes. "So, which school do you go to?" He asked the silent blonde.

"Twilight." He answered, taking an experimental sip of the cherry coke. He discovered that he liked it.

"Strange, I've never seen you there before." Axel wondered aloud.

"I dyed my hair brown during freshman orientation last year. Apparently I looked exactly like this kid from Destiny High, and grew it out again when summer came around."

Axel nodded as Yuna set their orders in front of them, still smiling, before drifting off and making sure the new girl, Yuffie, didn't break any more dishes than she already had today.

Their conversation continued, ranging from classes they liked and hated to video games to what they wanted to be when they 'grew up.'

"Firefighter." Axel stated, finishing off his roast beef sandwich. "Fire's amazing, you know? It's so powerful, and fast, and…"

"…and I think you're more fit to be a pyro than a firefighter. You seem to admire it more than anything. And look at your hair." Roxas pointed to a red spike and laughed. The redhead frowned, crossing his arms.

"Thanks a lot, Roxy."

Roxas froze, flashbacks running through his mind unchecked.

_What's wrong, Roxy-baby?_

_Oh yeah,_ Roxy's _gonna tell me what to do._

Axel noticed Roxas close off. "Roxas? Is everything okay?"

The blonde took a deep breath, fighting the memories away. "Yeah, fine." He smiled a thin attempt at disguising his discomfort. "Just… remembering the past."

Axel frowned. He'd like to think that Roxas and he were friends, but this was only their first time talking and he knew it would take a lot more for the blonde to trust him. He nodded and motioned to Yuna for the bill. He struck up idle chatter whilst handing her fifteen dollars, and within five minutes they were walking back to the apartment building.

"Want to come over after school? I won't have homework, and maybe we can avoid the whole awkward-meeting thing." Axel wondered aloud, kicking an empty energy drink can down the damp sidewalks.

Roxas stepped forward a little bit and kicked it as well. "Sure."

They smiled at one another and Axel dropped Roxas off at the second landing after watching Roxas's father leave.

"You know, I know you don't think it's worth it."

Roxas froze for the second time that night, eyeing Axel warily as he leaned against the doorframe to the stairwell. "I know you think life isn't worth it." Axel challenged again. "Your life sucks, and you're just living until you think you can get away from it all."

Roxas glared at Axel. "I know, who the fuck is this guy that thinks he can tell me what my life is like?" The redhead continued, walking toward the blonde. "But you know, I lived like you are now."

"Shut up." Roxas muttered under his breath. "You don't know."

"Why do you think I live alone? Why do you think I even took the time to notice that every time that same couple under me has a fight, I hear someone running through the hallways? You're running away from it, and you're running away from the fact that someone does understand what it's _like_ and can _help_."

"Sometimes it's easier to run." Roxas muttered again.

"Roxas!" Axel shouted, grabbing him by the shoulders and slamming him against the off-white wall. "I _know_ what you're thinking. You're going to kill yourself like this." The younger teen stared at his shoes. "Please. Just talk to me next time something's bothering you." Roxas nodded, and Axel finally released him.

"I'll see you tomorrow. If you don't want to keep running away, that is." The redhead walked through the door and up the stairs, presumably to his own apartment. Roxas glared at the door stubbornly. He gave up on glaring at a guy that wouldn't see it, sighed, and entered 2F, moving through the same motions he did every other night.

Finally, when he was in his bed, the nightmares came back. He curled up in a ball and covered his head with his pillow, willing them to go away. The other blonde kept tormenting his dreams. The last horror replayed itself before Roxas bolted upright, clutching his sheets. "GET OFF OF ME!"

Roxas breathed heavily for a few seconds before diving under the covers again and biting his pillow to keep himself from going hysterical. He thought about everything, relaxing only when the first glow of light shone through the dark window. The color red wouldn't leave his thoughts.

"It's easier to run, but sometimes it just feels better to give in."


	3. Unexpected Places

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Roxas sighed and disassembled the pen he was using to take notes for the fourth time this class hour. Normally physics wasn't so boring, but today was definitely an exception. Finally the bell rang and he heaved a grateful sigh, stuffing his notebook into his checkered messenger bag and slinging it over his shoulder. He had German next hour and wanted to get there slightly early in order to detail a few things on the large map of 'Deutschland' he had to recreate for a grade.

…or that was his intention, anyways, until he was slammed against a tan locker.

Roxas was annoyed by this point. Every other day he was subjected to this, and it was getting old. "Fuck _off_ , Seifer." He growled, not caring that the older boy was holding his arms in a vice grip, and struggled slightly.

"Only if you help," Seifer retorted automatically. Before the beanie-wearing senior could pull any other tricks, Roxas kneed him in the groin and wiggled away from where the other had been pinning him against the wall.

"Get new comebacks!" Roxas called over his shoulder as he sped down the hallway, wondering where Rai and Fuu, Seifer's groupies, were. That disturbance had interrupted his quick pace, and he would now arrive just before the bell. He swore under his breath as he turned a corner and discovered where Rai and Fuu were.

Blocking his way into the classroom. How original. The girl was looking idly around for Roxas and Rai was taking his job far too seriously, employing the use of binoculars in a hallway where the only thing to focus on would be female anatomy. Unfortunately, Fuu saw the only checkered messenger bag in school dodge back around the corner. "There." She pointed, causing Rai to focus in Roxas's direction with the binoculars.

"Where? I don't see the squirt…" Fuu snatched the binoculars away and threw them into Rai's open locker before pointing again and turning the corner, revealing Roxas leaning against the lockers as he waited for them to get to class.

"Ah, Rai, Fuu! Nice to see you. I just saw Seifer too, actually, but he seemed to be a bit ill…you might want to go check on him."

"Nice try, blondie."

Roxas turned around as Seifer walked up, limping slightly. "You're gonna pay for that, Roxy." He growled.

The younger shrugged again. "Well, it's not as though I hurt your chances of having children, so no harm done." He attempted ducking past the duo, failing miserably when Fuu grabbed his collar and held him there with her superwoman strength. She deposited him into Seifer's control before dragging Rai off as he screamed "Don't dis Seifer, y'know?!"

"I _thought_ I turned you down," Roxas hissed as the late bell rang. "Get away from me."

"I don't like taking no for an answer." Seifer responded, pressing him once again against the lockers and making sure Roxas had no way to escape this time. It was noticed immediately.

"Fucking get _away_ from me!" Roxas shouted before Seifer muffled him with his mouth, taking advantage of the shouting to explore the cavern the younger blonde had left open for him. After a few minutes, he broke away with a triumphant grin as Roxas glared at him.

"Be glad I didn't keep you for longer." He commented offhandedly, placing a pink late pass into Roxas's half-open hand. "Get to class."

"I'd be there already if it weren't for you." He snapped back, receiving a glare from the older student as a warning not to mouth off. He stalked down the hallway and into German, giving the teacher the late pass and slamming into his seat.

His day had been going so well.

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Finally, it was the end of the day. Roxas finished getting his homework from his locker before exiting the school and getting on the 3:45 bus bound for the stop that was a three minute walk from his house. On the way, he realized he was visiting Axel in less than an hour. He played with the bus pass in his hands as he thought of the fact that this was the first time he would be going to a friend's house since middle school.

Using the rest of his time, he thought of Naminé. She had been, and still was, his closest friend. He was sure that he was still hers as well, but her busy schedule restricted them from hanging out very often. He dug through his bag and pulled out a black cell phone with a silver X-shaped design on the cover and texted her, asking how everything was going with her art program and school in general. He didn't expect a reply back for a while, so he was surprised when he got a message back in less than a minute.

_Hey Roxas! Art's going fine, we're learning more pottery techniques right now, and things are okay at school. How're things in Twilight? <3/Nami_

He smiled; she had replied right away, so she was either not very busy or very excited to talk to him if she was skipping out on her normal after school sketching. He typed rapidly on the keypad, forming a response.

_Twilight's fine, Seifer's being his normal self and classes are okay. I met this guy who lives above me named Axel, and he seems nice, but pushy. I'm gonna hang out with him tonight. ~rox~_

Roxas sent his message and sat back, knowing Naminé would reply quickly. Sure enough, he was soon flipping open his phone to read the response.

_Oh, Roxas! I'm SO glad you're making friends. Seifer had better behave himself. I hope you're wearing something nice. <3/Nami_

Roxas blushed a little at her last comment.

_I hurt his chances of ever having children today. It's not a date, Nami. ~rox~_

_Regardless. Just keep Seifer away and you'll be fine. And I'll be expecting an update telling me how tonight went. ;] <3/Nami_

_Riiiight, Namine. ~rox~_

She was ridiculous! Roxas had only really talked to him once, and that was only last night!

…but she was usually right, so Roxas checked quickly to make sure his jeans and black high-collared shirt were acceptable. After passing inspection, the bus pulled to his stop and he hopped off, walking straight toward the building with the first true smile he'd worn in a while decorating his face.

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_In the most unexpected places, I see changes._   



End file.
